This new poinsettia cultivar originated as an induced pink bracted sport of 490 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825) in my greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif. It was induced by irradiation of 100 vegetative plants of `490` with 4000 rads of radiation, randomly applied to the whole plant under conditions which were not lethal to the plant. Of the 100 plants irradiated, one plant exhibited pink bracts. The mutant plant exhibited early flowering, self branching, pink flower bracts and dark green foliage; traits which help distinguish it from other poinsettia cultivars, and seem to make it a desirable plant for commercial greenhouse production.
`490 Pink` differs from the parent plant `490` in its distinctly different pink bract color. In contrast, parent `490` exhibits dark red bracts. Otherwise, the two plants are similar in size, height, leaf shape, and other characteristics.
After selection, `490 PINK` was vegetatively reproduced from stem cuttings for test purposes in Encinitas, Calif. By subjecting clones of this plant to successive generations of vegetative propagation, it was demonstrated that the distinctive characteristics of `490 PINK` held true from generation to generation.